Lavatera thuringiaca
| Lavatera thuringiaca | |
| Light: |  |
| Moisture: |   |
| Hardiness: | 8 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 6' |
| Width: | 3' |
| Speed: | Fast |
| Native to: | |
| Edible Rating: |  |
| Tea: | Yes |
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Lavatera thuringiaca (common name: lavatera)
Propagation: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame and only just cover the seed[1]. Germination is usually quick and good. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and plant them out in early summer[K].
Basal cuttings in spring.
Cuttings of softwood in June/July[2].
Cultivation: An easily grown plant, succeeding in any ordinary garden soil[3]. Prefers a light well-drained moderately fertile soil in full sun[1]. A soil that is too rich encourages foliar growth at the expense of flowering[1]. Tolerates maritime exposure[1].
Plants are hardy to about -20°c[4].
There are many named forms selected for their ornamental value[1]. The cultivar 'Barnsley' usually produces new shoots from the base in the autumn and winter. It is therefore a potential winter salad plant, though the texture of the leaves is not that wonderful[K].
Range: S.E. Europe to W. Asia - Armenia to Caucasia.
Habitat: Hills, thickets and waysides[5], by streams to 2800 metres[6].
Edibility: Young leaves - raw or cooked. A mild flavour, but the leaves are tough and not very worthwhile[K]. Leaves of the cultivar 'Barnsley' are less tough and are reasonably tasty, a plant at Kew had also produced quite a few leaves in the winter and so it is a potential winter salad[K].
Flowers - raw. A pleasant mild flavour, they make a decorative addition to the salad bowl[K]. Many named cultivars have considerably larger flowers than the type species and are thus much more worthwhile for the salad bowl[K].
Usage: A strong fibre is obtained from the stems, it is used for making string, bags, paper etc[7].
Pollinators: Insects
Notes: Although not mentioned in the list of edible uses, birds love this seed and it is very freely produced. No members of this family, as far as I know, are toxic so the seed is perfectly safe to eat. Plants will produce masses of seed in their second year fr
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Wind: Tolerates maritime wind exposure
Flower Type: Hermaphrodite
Also Known As: L. olbia. Hort.
Links
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ Brickell, Christopher. The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers. Dorling Kindersley Publishers, 1990.
- ↑ Chittendon, Fred. RHS Dictionary of Plants. Oxford University Press, 1951.
- ↑ Phillips, Roger and Martyn Rix. Perennials - The Definitve Reference. Pan Books, 1991.
- ↑ Polunin, Oleg. Flowers of Europe. Oxford University Press, 1969.
- ↑ Davis, Peter. Flora of Turkey. Edinburgh University Press, 1965.
- ↑ Komarov, Vladimir. Flora of the USSR. Gantner Verlag, 1968.